Process of and apparatus for coating printers&#39; rollers



May 2, 1933o o. UNDER ET AL 1,906,981

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COATING PRINTERS; ROLLERS Filed Dec. 2.1929 s sheets-sneet 1 ATTORNEY.

May 2, 1933. Q UNDER ET AL 4 1,906,981

PROCESS 0F AND APPARATUS FOR COATING PRINTERS ROLLERS Filed Dec. 2. 19293 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 2, 1933. o. UNDER ET AL. 1,905,981

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COATING' PRINTERS ROLLERS Filed Dec. 2,1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY.

Patented May 2, i933 I E E F F l C E OSCAR LINDER, OF CORAL G-ABLES,FLORIDA, AND FRANK E. WILLSON, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO SAML. BINGHAMS SON MFG. CO., OF CHICAGO,ILLINCIS,

A CORPORATION F ILLINOIS PROCESS OF AIN D AFPARATUS FOR COATING PRINTERSROLLERS Application filed December 2, 1929. Serial No. 411,099.

This invention relates to an improved method of an apparatus for coatingprinters rollers of the type consisting of a steel shaft or stock, adurable and lasting body portion of rubber, composition or othersuitable material cast thereon, sometimes but not necessarily, enclosedby a tubular casing or jacket of fabric, rubber or other suitablematerial, which encases the body portion of the roller,

lo and a thin coating of roller composition of substantially uniformthickness, as near as may be, applied to the outer cylindrical surfaceof said casing or jacket, said coating of roller composition beingremovable-as by washing-and renewable when necessary, to

restore standard performance of the rollers 1n use.

As is generally Well lmown to persons familiar with the manufacture anduse of printers rollers, several different methods of and apparatus forcoating printers rollers of the general type specified are known and inuse at the present time.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improvedmethod of and apparatus for coating printers rollers of the generaltyper specified, both new and used, with an outer coating of rollercomposition. As the invention relates to an improved 20 method ofcoating printers rollers, it consists of the various stepshereinafterspecified and as it relates to an apparatus for carrying out ourimproved process, the invention consists of thev various features,combinations of features, and details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is fullyillustrated,

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of 43 a printers roller of thegeneral type to which the present invention relates.

Fig 2 is a side view, partly in section, of a printers roller and meansfor applying roller composition thereto in accordance with our improvedprocess.

` present invention relating solely to the meth- Fig. 3 is a side viewillustrating means for coating a ,roller supported in inclined position,both to the horizontal and vertical.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the receptacle for containing coating materialused in coating inclined rollers.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of receptacle forcontaining coating composition, adapted for use in the practice of ourimproved process.

Fig. 6 is a side view substantially similar to Fig. 1, of coatingapparatus which includes mechanical means for supplying liquid coatingcomposition to the applying receptacle during operation; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic side view illustrating still other means forapplying coating composition in accordance with our invention.

Describing the invention with particular reference to the drawings andreferring in the first instance to the embodiment of the invention shownin Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, of the drawings A designates as a whole, aprinters roller of the general type to which the present inventionrelates, comprising a body portion consisting of a central stock orshaft 10, a body portion 11 of rubber, composition, ,or other suitablematerial, a casing or jacket 12 of rubber, fabric or like material,which ,encases the said cushion body 11, and a relatively thin,renewable outer coating 13 of roller composition. Rollers of the generaltype specified are old and well-known, the

odof and apparatus for applying the external coating 13 of rollercomposition to the roller body.

To effect this coating, said roller bod 11 is mounted with its axisdisposed at an appreciable angle to the horizontal, preferablysubstantially vertical, as indicated in Fig. 2, with the lower end ofthe stock or shaft 10 in engagement with a suitable bearing 14, securedto the floor or other suitable fixed sup- 9o port, and its upper end inengagement with a bearing indicated at 14. A receptacle 15, preferablymade in the form of an inverted, truncated cone, and provided with anopening 16 in its smaller end, adapted and arranged to t over the rollerbody 11 with slight clearance, is arranged about said roller body andfilled with roller composition indicated at 17. Said roller composition17 is that commonly used for the purpose, or any suitable composition,and is applied in melted condition, in which it will iiow freely. Inapplying said coating of roller composition to the vroller body 11, thereceptacle 15 is started at the top of the roller body and is moveddownwardly along the same, thereby applying the coating 13 to thesurface of said roller body by adhesion of the liquid composition to thesurface of the body portion of the roller'. By moving the receptacle l5slowly, practically all drainage of the coating material, due togravity, will be returned directly into said receptacle, so that therewill be little, if any, drainage after the coating of the roller hasbeen completed. After the coatingof roller composition has been thusapplied to the entire surface of the roller to be coated, said rollermay be removed from the apparatus and deposited in upright position in arack provided for the purpose, and permitted to remain until drainageceases, and the coating 13 of roller composition sets or hardens. Byproperly manipulating the receptacle 15, a surface coating of greatuniformity and smoothness can be obtained.

If it is desired to increase the uniformity of the coating, the lowerportion of the roller body 11 may be heated or the upper portion thereofcooled, which will tend to expedite or retard drainage, and thusequalize the thickness of the coating, inasmuch as there is a naturaltendency of the coating to drain downwardly and thereby thicken slightlyat the lower end of the roller. This graduated heating can be effectedwithout the employment of special means for the purpose by progressivelyincreasing the time of contact of the heated body of roller compositionwith the roller. as said body of roller composition moves from top tobottom of the roller, that is by gradually retarding the movement of thereceptacle downwardly along the roller.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the roller A will be rotated slowly onits axes during the application of the coating composition thereto. Suchrotation will tend to further increase the uniformity of the coating 13of pose can readily be devised by mechanics of ordinary skill withoutthe exercise of invention. For example, rotation may be imparted to theroller by means of a crank or dog 18, secured to the upper end of thestock or shaft 10 above the support 14.

In order to catch any roller composition which may drain from the rolleror from the receptacle 15, when said receptacle passes below and out ofengagement with the lower end of the roller body, an inclined drain ageboard 19 is arranged, as indicated, to cooperate with a vessel 20,whereby coating material draining from the roller 11, or the receptacle15, may be collected and reused.

Where, as not infrequently happens, the rollers to be coated are toolong to be mounted with their axes disposed vertically, our inventioncontemplates mounting them with their axes disposed at such considerableangle to the horizontal as may be necessary to mount them in the spaceavailable. This manner of mounting such long rollers is shown in Fig. 3of the drawings.

Except as regards certain necessary changes in detail, as presentlypointed out, the adaptation of our improved process and apparatus forcoating rollers thus supported in inclined position, is practicallyidentical with the method and apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2, andcorresponding parts are, therefore, designated by the same referencecharacters.

As regards the changes in detail required for coating rollers whensupported in inclined position. one of these consists in making the hole16 in the small end of the receptacle 15 elliptical in shape, the shapethereof conforming to the shape in cross-section of the roller in theplane of the opening 16. which usually will be a substantiallyhorizontal plane.

Obviously, the hole or opening 16 being elliptical in shape. the shapeof the receptacle 15 in plan View. desirably will conform generally tothat of said hole or opening 16.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, a plan view of a receptacle suitable for thuscoating rollers supported in an inclined position. is shown.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, a modified form of receptacle adapted tocontain a larger quantity of coating composition than the receptaclesshown in Figs. 2 to 4. To accomplish this. the receptacle, designated 15is substantially cylindrical in form and is provided in its bottom withan opening 16 adapted to fit over the roller body 11. The operation ofthis form of receptacle is precisely the same as the operation of thereceptacles 15 shown in Figs. 2 to 4 and will be readily understood fromthe drawings without a. separate description thereof in detail.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, a somewhat more elaborate apparatus than thatshown in Figs. 2 to 4 and heretofore described is shown. As regards itsgeneral features and excepting as hereinafter particularly described,the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is substantially the same as that shown inFigs. 2 to 4, and corresponding parts thereof are designated by the samereference characters, the description of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2referring equally to that of Fig. 6.

The principal feature in which the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 diers fromthat shown in Fig. 2, consists in connecting the receptacle 153 with asource of supply of roller composition, as shown, a tank 23 supported ata somewhat higher level than the upper end ot the roller A, a dischargeopening iu the lower end of which is connected with a nipple 24 at thelower end of the receptacle 153, whereby roller composition may besupplied to the receptacle 153 from said tank 23 during the entirecoating operation. As shown, also, the nipple 24 is controlled by meansof a valve 25 adapted to regulate the quantity of liquid compositionsupplied to said receptacle 153, thus providing for maintaining asubstantially uniform depth of coating composition in said receptacle,which will operate to render the application of coating material moreunifor'm in thickness than would be the case if the depth of coatingmaterial in said receptacle were to vary during the progress of saidreceptacle downwardly along the roller.- Obviously, also the provisionof means for thus supplying coating composition to the receptacle 153during the coating operation will insure au adequate supply of coatingcomposition to properly coat the roller.

As still a further modification of the apparatus for coating printersrollers with roller composition, in accordance with our improvedprocess` instead of moving the receptacle containing the coatingcomposition downwardly along the roller to be coated, our inventioncontemplates equally a construction in which the receptacle whichcontains the liquid coating composition is mounted in fixed position andthe roller to be coated is passed endwise upwardly through saidreceptacle, the relation being such that the coating material will beapplied progressively from the top of the roller downwardly.

What we now consider preferable means for supporting the roller andpassing it upwards through the receptacle containing coatingcomposition, consists in suspending the roller by one end by means of aflexible cord or cable which passes over a pulley supported above thereceptacle, which in operation contains the coating composition and inthen raising said roller through said receptacle, by a pull on the cablein the proper direction, which may be done either manually or by meansof a simple form of winch.

This modification is shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, inl which Adesignates the roller,

154 the receptacle mounted in fixed position, the relation being suchthat, initially the rectacle 154 will be positioned adjacent the upperend of the surface of the roller to be coated. 17 indicates coatingcomposition contained in the receptacle, 26 a flexible cord or cable b-ywhich the roller A is suspended by its upper end, 27 a pulley over whichsaid cord or cable passes and 28 a simple form of winch to which thecable is anchored and upon which it may be wound or unwound by rotationof said winch in the proper direction, thus raising or lowering theroller, as may be desired.

In all embodiments of the invention, the depth of the receptacle forcontaining the coating composition is so proportioned that the body ofcoating composition will cover only`a restricted portion of the surfaceof the roller to be coated, thereby causing the coating composition tobe applied to said roller progressively from its top downwards Theprocess of coating printers rollers herein described, is very simple andefficient and its practice requires the use of practically no machinery.Also very little composition Will be wasted, as practically allcomposition which drains from the rollers during the coating process,drains directly back into the applying receptacle, while any smallamount of drainage which occurs aft-er the completion of the coatingoperation, will be caught by the drain board 19 and delivered into thereceptacle 20, from which it may be recovered and used again. Thus aminimum amount of coating composition will be used with a resultingsaving of waste.

Instead of employing the drain board 19 and receptacle 20 for recoveringliquid composition which may drain from the roller A or receptacle 15,our invention contemplates providing said receptacle with a stop cock29, see Fig. 6, positioned adjacent its lower end, by means of whichexcess coating composition may be drawn oli from said receptacle 15 intoa separate receptacle, notshown, before the hole 16 in the lower end ofthe receptacle passes out of engagement with the body of the roller.

While the preferred method of and apparatus for practicing the inventionhave been illustrated and described, these are capable of variation andmodification without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is,therefore, not desired or intended to limit the patent protection to theprecise details herein disclosed, but'to include therein also suchvariations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Reference in the specification and claims, to rollers mounted at anappreciable angle to the horfiontal, is intended to designate andinclude any angular position of a roller in which it may be coated bymeans of our improved process, it being understood that,

preferably, the roller will always be mounted with its axes as nearlyvertical as possible. In practice, the minimum angle of inclination forcoating rollers in accordance with our improved process, can readily bedetermined by simple experiment, which, in view of our disclosure, willnot involve invention.

We claim: l. The method of coating printers rollers with rollercomposition, which, consists in imparting relative axial movement to aroller disposed with its axis at an appreciable angle to the horizontal,and a confined vbody of liquid coatin composition held in contact withthe sur ace of the roller to be coated and which entirely surrounds 'arestricted portion axially thereof, the roller emerging axially upwardsfrom the body of coating composition.

2. The method of coating printers rollers with roller composition, whichconsists in imparting relative axial movement to a roller disposed withits axis substantially vertical,`

and a confined body of liquid coating composition held in contact withthe surface of the roller to be coated and which entirely surrounds arestricted portion, axially thereof, the roller emerging axially upwardfrom the body of coating composition.

3. The method of coating printers rollers as specified in claim 1, whichalso consists in maintaining the body of coating composition in Contactwith the roller, of substantially uniform depth.

4. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means for mountinga roller with its axis disposed at an appreciable angle to thehorizontal, a receptacle which initially entirely surrounds a restrictedportion, axially, of the surface of roller adjacent its upper end, andmeans for imparting relative movement to said roller and receptacle,causing application of the roller composition progressively from top tothe bottom ofthe roller, the roller emerging axially upwards from thebody of composition.

5. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means foiLmountinga roller with its axis disposed at an appreciable angle to thehorizontal, a receptacle which initially entirely surrounds a restrictedportion, axially, of the surface of the roller to be coated adjacent itsupper end, and means for imparting relative axial and turning movementto said roller and receptacle, the roller emerging axially upwards fromthe body of composition.

6. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means for mountinga roller with its axis disposed at an appreciable angle to thehorizontal, a receptacle which `initially entirely surrounds arestricted portion, axially, of the surface of the roller to be coatedadjacent its upper end, means for imparting relative axial movement tosaid roller and receptacle, and means for 'turning said roller on itsaxis, the roller emerging axially upwards from the body of composition.

7 Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means for m-ountinga roller to be coated withits axis disposed substantially vertical,areceptacle which initially entirely surrounds a restricted portion,axially, ofthe surfaceA of the" roller adjacent'its upper end, and meansfor imparting relative movement to the roller and receptacley of saidroller, causing the coating composition to be applied progressively fromtop to bottom of said roller, the roller emerging, axially vupwards fromthe body of composition.

8. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means for mountinga roller with its axis disposed at an appreciable angle to thehorizontal, a receptacle which initially entirely surrounds a restrictedportion, axially, of said roller'adjacent its upper end, means formaintaining a substantially constant depth of liquid coating compositionin said receptacle, and lmeans for imparting relative movement tosaidroller .and receptacle, causing the coating composition to beapplied progressively from top to bottom of said roller, the rolleremerging axially upwards from the body of composition.

9. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means for mountinga roller with its axis disposed at an appreciable angle to thehorizontal, a receptacle which initially entirely surrounds a restrictedportion, axially, of said roller adjacent its upper end, means formaintaining a substantially constant depth of liquid coating compositionin said receptacle, and means-'for imparting movement to said receptacledownwardly along the surface of said roller, the roller emerging axiallyupwards from'the body of composition.

` 10. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means formounting a roller with -its axis disposed aty 'an appreciable angle tothe horizontal, a'reoeptacle which initially encloses a portion of therolleradjacent itsl upper end and which entirely surrounds said roller,an elevated reservoir 'for containing liquid coating composition, aflexible hose which connects said reservoir a-nd receptacle, and meansfor imparting relative movement to said roller and. receptacle causingthe coating composition to b'e applied progressively from top to bottomof'said roller, the roller emerging axially from the body of compositionand formation of the coating being effeclted by the action of adhesionand drainage on y. Y v

11. Apparatus for coating printers rollers, comprising means-'forlmounting a roller with its .axis disposed-at 'an appreciable angle tothe horizontal, a'frecepta'cle which initially encloses a..portionf'ofthe roller adjacent its upper end, and means for. impartingrelative movement to said roller and receptacle causing coatincomposition vto be applied yprogressively rom top to bottom of saidroller the roller emerging axially from the body oi 5 composition andformation ofthe coating being eected by the action of adhesion anddrainage only, a drain board beneath said roller and a receptacle intowhich said drain board discharges,

3@ iin Witness that We claim the foregoing as our invention, We ax oursignatures this 21st day of November, 1929.

f @SCAR LENDER.

E5 FRANK E. WILLSUN.

